Featuring an illustrious cast led by Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won, tvN’s latest K-Drama, “Queen of Tears,” is off to a promising start. Within just three episodes since its highly anticipated debut, the series has already achieved a remarkable viewer rating of 9.5% in Korea.
With the support of Netflix, “Queen of Tears” has garnered international acclaim. However, amidst the spotlight, attention has been drawn to the scriptwriter’s past controversies.
Park Ji Eun, acclaimed for her contributions to Korean drama, has faced persistent allegations of plagiarism despite her extensive success. Notably, her 2013 SBS hit, “My Love From The Star,” drew controversy for similarities in its opening sequence to that of the 2008 American series, “New Amsterdam.”
Additionally, author Kang Kyung Ok accused Park Ji Eun of appropriating settings from her 2008 web novel, “Seolhee,” for “My Love From The Star.”
Kyung Ok claimed that elements unique to her novel had been taken without permission, initiating legal action against the scriptwriter.
However, the lawsuit was ultimately resolved through an undisclosed agreement between the parties involved.
In 2019, Park Ji Eun’s tvN drama “Crash Landing On You” became embroiled in plagiarism accusations.
An aspiring scriptwriter, in a now-deleted online post, alleged that Park Ji Eun plagiarized the plot from their original work, “Unique Romance.”
The apprentice claimed that their submission to a scriptwriting contest served as the basis for Park Ji Eun’s series, which featured a storyline involving a North Korean soldier falling in love with a South Korean woman after she crashes into North Korea during a paragliding mishap.
In response, Park Ji Eun reportedly filed a defamation lawsuit against the apprentice. Despite legal proceedings, the case ended with the apprentice being acquitted.
Shockingly, the apprentice disclosed attempting suicide due to the distress caused by the legal battle, prompting widespread sympathy and support from those who believed in their claims.
While no formal charges of plagiarism have been brought against Park Ji Eun in a court of law, her name remains associated with a series of scandals within the K-Drama community. Despite this, she has not been officially charged or convicted of any wrongdoing related to plagiarism.
- “I love the cast, but I don’t think I should be watching the show.”
- “Sigh. The scriptwriter is the worst plagiarizer ever, but I guess people will still watch because the cast lineup is stellar. I’m not going to watch it, though.”
- “For me, it’s the people who know about the scriptwriter’s past but still watch the show… If we keep consuming her work, she will keep plagiarizing—even if this particular show might be her original.”
